Untitled

Unknown

ca. 1700 · Opaque watercolor on paper · Asian Art

This painting presents a highly original vision of a popular scene from the Ramayana epic: Rama’s war encampment at night. On a hilltop overlooking the island fortress of Lanka, the hero Rama receives Vibhishana, the virtuous brother of the demon king Ravana, who has abducted Rama’s wife, Sita. Having failed to dissuade his brother from embarking on a war, Vibhishana kneels before Rama and offers to switch his allegiance. Rama receives him while reclining on a deerskin rug and resting his head on the monkey king Sugriva’s lap; Hanuman, general of the monkey army, massages his feet. Rama’s half-brother Lakshmana is seated behind. The dignitaries wear waist skirts with foliate designs, alluding to the grass skirts the heroes wore during their long exile in the forests.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1700

Medium

Opaque watercolor on paper

Culture

India, Sawar, Rajasthan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Howard Hodgkin Collection, Purchase, Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, by exchange, 2022